Invalid{3 s apron and bib

ABSTRACT

An apron for use by invalids and the like. A bib portion is fastened around the neck with a snap button and has an apron like front covering the chest and lap of the wearer and provided with a patch type pocket. A napkin holder constructed of plastic or the like is attached to the front in the breast area and has a clamping or gripping means for a napkin which can dangle from the clamping or gripping means to be readily grasped by the invalid for use as required without danger of dropping or mislaying the napkin. The apron may be of any flexible material, as for example terry cloth for easy washability. The napkin holder clamping or gripping means can be constructed of plastic in the fashion of a conventional garter gripping or holding type of clamp.

United States Patent [191 Herman 1 Apr. 29, 1975 1 1 INVALIDS APRON ANDBIB [22] Filed: Apr. 18, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 461,867

[52] U.S. Cl. 2/48 [51] Int. Cl A411) 13/10 [58] Field of Search 2/48,49 R, 49 A; 24/7, 24/9 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS675,108 5/1901 Perkins 24/9 1,149,950 8/1915 Rindskopf 2/48 UX 1,816,5667/1931 Burstein ct a1 2/48 2,250,887 7/1941 Brown 2/49 R 2,410,63911/1946 Dorccy 2/48 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1.193.862 5/1959France 2/49 R 1,030,374 5/1966 United Kingdom 2/48 PrimaryExaminer-Alfred R. Guest Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Glenn K. Robbins [57]ABSTRACT An apron for use by invalids and the like. A bib portion isfastened around the neck with a snap button and has an apron like frontcovering the chest and lap of the wearer and provided with a patch typepocket. A napkin holder constructed of plastic or the like is attachedto the front in the breast area and has a clamping or gripping means fora napkin which can dangle from the clamping or gripping means to bereadily grasped by the invalid for use as required without danger ofdropping or mislaying the napkin. The apron may be of any flexiblematerial, as for example terry cloth for easy washability. The napkinholder clamping or gripping means can be constructed of plastic in thefashion of a conventional garter gripping or holding type of clamp.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures INVALIDS APRON AND BIB SUMMARY OF THEINVENTION By means of this invention there has been devised a bibbedapron which can be simply employed by invalids, infirm wearers, childrenof others as desired. The apron is particularly designed for easy wearor use by simply fastening the bib around the neck which is by a snapbutton or the like. A patch pocket is provided for various types ofobjects as desired.

A special feature of the invention resides in the employment of a napkinholder which grips the napkin placed in it and holds it in a convenientand handy place for instant use. The napkin holder is attached in thebreast area of the front of the apron permitting the user to use thenapkin without disengagement from the holder. The holder is comprised ofa gripping or clamping means which is fashioned in the same type ofconstruction as the conventional garter holder. Thus the holder has abutton having a grooved portion around the periphery and which isinsertible in an enlarged opening of a key-hole shaped ring with aportion of the napkin placed over the button which is then moveable intoclamping position in a slot in the ring. The holder may be attached tothe apron at the end of a short piece of strap like material permittingthe napkin to be stretched through the elastic nature of the strap likematerial to wipe the mouth of the user and the like as required.

The apron provides a protective cover combining the appearance andfunction of an apron covering the chest and lap of the user. The aproncan be used as a very necessary, practical and efficient item forhospital, institutional and domicilliry needs as well as for use in thehome as desired.

The apron can be simply fastened about the neck of the user byattendants without requirements of any drawstring in the back of thelike which greatly facilitates the caring of the sick, handicapped, theaged and children in order to keep their wearing apparel dry, clean andneat while further eliminating many clothing and bedding changes causedby accidents or spillage in eating, drinking and other functions.

The apron can be made of any flexible material but particularly lendsitself to fabrication from terry cloth which is flexible, absorbent,clean, neat appearing and can be machine washed where it remains softand neat without requiring ironing or special handling. The apron can bemass produced from easily obtainable materials and equipment and can beemployed without any complications in attachment to the wearer or in useby the wearer.

The above features are objects of this invention and further objectswill appear in the detailed description which follows and will otherwisebe apparent to those skilled in the art.

For the purpose of illustration of this invention there is shown in theaccompanying drawings a preferred embodiment thereof. It is to beunderstood that these drawings are for the purpose of example only andthat the invention is not limited thereto.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1, is a top plan view of the apron. FIG. 2, is afragmentary enlarged plan view of the top of the apron with one of theneck attachement arms folded over to show the manner of attachment ofthe snap button.

FIG. 3, is an enlarged plan view of the napkin holder in clampingposition.

FIG. 4, is a fragmentary view taken similarly to FIG. 3, but showing thenapkin holder in the open position ready for insertion of a napkin.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The apron of this invention is generallyidentified by the reference numeral 10 in FIG. 1. As there shown, it hasan enlarged front or chest portion 12 and a lap portion 13 and a neckholding portion 14 in the nature of a yoke having a pair of arms 16 and18 adapted to fit around the neck. A pocket 20 is provided at one sideof the general breast area of the apron while a napkin holder 22 isattached on the other side of the apron.

The apron 10 is conveniently made of terry cloth since it is highlyabsorbent, strong, soft and pliable and can be machine washed to be inwrinkle-free form. It will be understood that other flexible materialsmay be used as desired.

The yoke 18 which fits around the back of the neck of the user isprovided with a conventional attaching snap button attaching means 24.This is comprised of a socket 26 sewn on the top side of arm 18 and aball member 28 sewn on the bottom side of arm 16 which is interfittablein a friction fit manner within the socket 26. The so called snap buttonis of conventional construction as will well be understood in the art.

The patch pocket 20 shown in FlG. 1, is simply constructed by sewing thesides 30 and 32 as well as the bottom portion 34 of a rectangular pieceof material to the front 12 of the apron thereby leaving the top portion36 open for use as a pocket.

The apron is bounded by a folded over piece of bias tape 36 sewn aroundthe edges of the apron. The bias tape provides for strength anddurability as will be well understood.

The napkin holder 22 is best shown in FIGS. 3, and 4. It is comprised ofa ring member 40 constructed of plastic or the like, durable enough towithstand extreme hot temperatures. The ring member is attached to theapron by means of a flexible strap or the like 42 which is sewn to areinforcing piece of material 44 and to the apron front 12. The napkinholder is further provided with a button member 46 which is connected tothe ring by a piece of flexible strap material 48. The button member 46has a peripheral groove at the side such that the napkin can be placedover it with the button member then fitting through an enlarged opening50 of the ring member and forcible downwardly with the napkin coveringit into clamping engagement in a vertical reduced width slot 52. Theopenings 50 and 52 are in the nature of a key hole and the entireconstruction provides for a simple means of clamping or gripping thenapkin and attaching it to the front of the apron for ready use by thewater.

Use:

The apron 10 of this invention is adapted to be very simply used byinvalids, infirm persons, children of tender years as well as members ofgeneral public. The user can simply connect the apron when he is sittingin a chair or reclining in a bed by simply fitting the yoke 14 aroundthe back of the neck and connecting the arms 16 and 18 by snapping thesnap button in to the socket. Should the user be so infirm as to beunable to do this an attendant can perform this function very simplywithout disturbance to the user. The requirement of fastening tiestrings at the back of the user is avoided and a simple connection ofthe snap button member is all that is required.

The apron when properly connected around the neck of the user has thefront portion 12 covering the chest and upper torso and the lower, orskirt portion, covering the lap area. The patch pocket 36 located in thegeneral breast area can be simply employed by the user or by anattendant for inserting matters as desired.

The napkin holder 22 attached to the general breast area on the otherside of the apron as compared to the patch pocket serves veryconveniently to grip napkins or handkerchiefs, small towels or the like.A napkin for example is very simply gripped by simply placing one cornerover the button member 46 in the open position as shown in FIG. 4.Button member 46 is then moved into registry with the enlarged opening50 and then pressed downwardly into the vertical slot 52 in napkinwedging or clamping relation.

The closed position where the napkin is gripped is well shown in FIG. 3.

The napkin is much more safe to use with the holder than as for examplebeing placed in the patch pocket. Thus for infirm users the danglingnapkin depending from the holder can be simply grasped and can be raisedto the mouht of the user for example without being removed from theholder. The release of the napkin or dropping by the user and huntingfor the napkin has been avoided by this invention since it is firmlyretained in the holder and can be used over and over again as desired.Such hunting of dropped napkins or the like by infirm persons orchildren has often caused accidents by their bending over and fallingout of their wheel chair, high chair or bed which is obviated by theinstant invention.

Thus an apron has been presented by this invention which can be verysimply worn in a reclining or sitting position by invalids, children oftender years and users who have difficulty in using their mental orphysical facilities. The apron is simply designed of standard materialsof construction without any easily encountered metal parts or pins whichmight cause injury. The machine washability of the apron whenmanufactured of terry cloth or the like makes it possible to present aclean and easily laundered apron of simple and inexpensive construction.

Various changes and modifications may be made within this invention aswill be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes andmodifications are within the scope and teaching of this invention asdifined by the claims appende hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. An invalids and childrens apron comprising an apronlike flexiblesheet material adapted to cover the chest and lap, a pair of curvedmembers extending in a yoke around the neck of the user and adapted tobe fastened together, and a napkin holder clamp means connected to thesheet material at the chest area, in which the napkin holder clamp meanscomprises a keyhole shaped ring member, a button member engageable in anenlarged portion of the keyhold and forceable in clamping relation witha napkin in an elongated reduced portion of said keyhole.

2. The apron of claim 1, in which a pocket is sewn into the sheetmaterial in an area spaced from the napkin holder.

3. The apron of claim 1, in which the sheet material is of a washablefabric construction.

4. The apron of claim 1, in which the ring is of plastic constructionand is connected adjacent the enlarged portion of the keyhole to theapron with the reduced portion of the keyhole depending downwardly.

5. The apron of claim 4, in which the button member is of plasticconstruction and is connected to the chest area of the apron by aflexible band member.

6. The apron of claim 5, in which a pocket is sewn into the sheetmaterial in an area spaced from the napkin holder and the sheet materialis of a washable fabric construction.

1. An invalid''s and children''s apron comprising an apronlike flexiblesheet material adapted to cover the chest and lap, a pair of curvedmembers extending in a yoke around the neck of the user and adapted tobe fastened together, and a napkin holder clamp means connected to thesheet material at the chest area, in which the napkin holder clamp meanscomprises a keyhole shaped ring member, a button member engageable in anenlarged portion of the keyhold and forceable in clamping relation witha napkin in an elongated reduced portion of said keyhole.
 2. The apronof claim 1, in which a pocket is sewn into the sheet material in an areaspaced from the napkin holder.
 3. The apron of claim 1, in which thesheet material is of a washable fabric construction.
 4. The apron ofclaim 1, in which the ring is of plastic construction and is connectedadjacent the enlarged portion of the keyhole to the apron with thereduced portion of the keyhole depending downwardly.
 5. The apron ofclaim 4, in which the button member is of plastic construction and isconnected to the chest area of the apron by a flexible band member. 6.The apron of claim 5, in which a pocket is sewn into the sheet materialin an area spaced from the napkin holder and the sheet material is of awashable fabric construction.